The Laughing Wolf

Concert Review: Natalie MacMaster

This weekend has seen me be a culture vulture, starting with the dance recital and ending on a vibrant note with a concert by Natalie MacMaster. For those not familiar, she is a "fiddler" who is a whole lot more. She got her start at age nine on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, and that should give you a clue about the origins of the traditional music there. It is heavily Scottish/Celtic and shares a number of common elements with bluegrass, which also arose from the Celtic tradition. Her work ranges from the traditional to a recent fusion effort with other genres.

If you have the chance to see her in concert, I highly recommend it. She is full of energy and shares a wide range of music with the audience. Her band expands this, and pretty much everyone is given a chance to shine with solos. Adding to it is the fact that she does tap, and will do some serious tap and/or dancing whilst she is playing the fiddle. Roughly two full hours of music and dance was presented, and my only complaint has to do with my seat and an inability to see the entire stage.

She also took the time afterwards to meet the audience and sign autographs, and some of the band members did as well. More may have come out later, but I, alas, had to leave. For now, I will leave you with a strong recommendation to check out her music and to go see her live if you have the chance.

LW